It’s important that a bride understand her strategy for bridal planning in a consistent, clear way. Inspired by strategy formulation in business, the below chart will help the bride visualize her big day and plan in a way that is consistent with her abilities and desires.
The horizontal axis, or the words at the top of the boxes, reflect who will be doing the executing of the plans. In most cases but not all, a “Do-It-Yourself” approach requires less money and more time than a “Delegate to Pros” approach. The vertical axis, or the words turned at the side of the box, show the degree to which her stylistic choices appeal to the masses (aka the guests). Let’s look at it block by block, or quadrant by quadrant:
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Quadrant #1: A “Do-It-Yourself” approach with broad appeal reflects a look and feel crafted with your own fingers. Your wedding choices appeal just as much to the lil tot carrying your rings down the aisle as to Grandma’s preferences.
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Quadrant #2: A “Delegate-to-the-Pros” approach with broad appeal highlights your stylistic choices, but other people’s (planner, florists, etc) design. All guests at the wedding think the stylistic choices are appropriate and nice.
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Quadrant #3: A “Do-It-Yourself” approach with niche appeal showcases your super-duper craft abilities combined with a consistent, specific vision. Some guests will swoon while others would not feel connected to the style.
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Quadrant #4: A “Delegate-to-the-Pros” approach with niche appeal emphasizes a very focused vision of a wedding that is executed by third parties. Some guests are intrigued by the stylistic choices, while others may not be.
Beware of the danger zone! This black hole sucks its victims in and makes the the rich little poor bride very confused. Remember, you should not try to position your wedding as all things to all guests, so pick a quadrant and stick with it.
In my heart of hearts, I’m a do-it yourselfer. But, I have limited time, so I took a “Delegate to the Pros” approach. I elected to use a broad appeal; it’s important that my grandmother be as comfortable as my college buds.
Which quadrant are you in? Share your thoughts by commenting on this blog.
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